2014 American Democracy Project and The Democracy Commitment National Meeting: Speakers

Lauren Bird

Lauren Bird is the Spokesperson and Digital Content Strategist for the Harry Potter Alliance, a nonprofit that uses the power of story and popular culture to create real-world change. A graduate of New York University, Lauren has spoken on numerous panels including at TEDx Women, MIT’s Futures of Entertainment, and San Diego Comic-Con. Using the HPA’s methodology as well as her considerable youth, Lauren helped earn the HPA a spot as one of Mashable’s “9 Nonprofits That Get Web Humor.” In addition to producing online videos for the HPA (which have been featured on sites including Upworthy, MTV Act, and BuzzFeed), Lauren also runs a successful parody series on YouTube called, “Will It Waffle?” She can be found online @laurenthebird.

Suey Park

Suey Park is a 23-year old writer and activist based in Chicago. Park is well-known for her social media activism and her trending hashtags such as #NotYourAsianSidekick, #BlackPowerYellowPeril and the recent controversial #CancelColbert, all of which have resulted in media furor. Park is one of the most outspoken and dynamic young Asian American women in the public view with incisive views on race and gender and social organization. She spoke at ADP campus Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in April about “Hashtags: A New Form of Social Activism.” Follow her on Twitter at @suey_park!

Mark Schulte

Mark Schulte directs education outreach for
the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. He uses the journalism supported by the
Pulitzer Center to engage students on under-reported global topics such as water
and sanitation, extractives and commodities, climate change, women and children
in crisis, and food insecurity. The education program at the Pulitzer Center
reached more than 15,000 students in the U.S. in 2013. Prior to his work at the
Pulitzer Center, Schulte worked as an educator and a magazine writer and editor,
for US News & World Report and regional publications in Virginia.